USD/JPY extends biggest gains since November towards 104.00 amid risk-on mood

• USD/JPY prints a three-day winning streak with mild gains at Tokyo’s open.
• Risks remain positive amid US stimulus hopes, light calendar.
• US NFP, $2,000 paycheck and Trump’s impeachment in focus.

USD/JPY picks up bids near 103.92, up 0.08% intraday, during early Friday. The yen pair jumped the most since early November the previous day after Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Yoshihide Suga announced an emergency in Tokyo and three surrounding areas due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Backing the upside moves recently is the news suggesting the US Congress push for President Donald Trump’s immediate resignation even as Vice President Mike Pence safeguards the National Leader after his supporters stormed the Capitol Hill. The news smoothens the way for Democrats and further stimulus, which in turn favor risks off-late.

Even so, fears of the jump in covid infection give a tough fight to the vaccine hopes. That said, “Tokyo reported a record 2,447 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, metropolitan government officials said, as the Japanese capital prepares to come under stricter measures to contain the pandemic,” per Kyodo News. Virus conditions in the US and the UK are also worrisome while Australia’s Greater Brisbane recently called for a three-day lockdown on founding the COVID-19 strain indicated earlier by the UK.

It should be noted that chatters around the Sino-American tussle are an extra burden on the risks but got less audience as traders are more interested in US politics and stimulus headlines.

Amid these plays, Japan’s Nikkei 225 is up above 1.40% whereas S&P 500 Futures rise 0.23% by press time. Further, the US 10-year Treasury yields added 2.4 basis points to 1.095% at the time of press.

Moving on, risk news mainly from the US will be the key ahead of the American employment data for December. In the run, Preliminary readings of Japan’s Leading Economic Index for November, expected 94.9 versus 94.3, may offer intermediate moves.

Read: Nonfarm Payrolls Preview: Long path to recover to be even longer

Technical analysis

A sustained break of the downward sloping trend line from November 11, at 103.50 now, suggests USD/JPY bull’s entry. However, 50-day SMA restricts the immediate upside to around 104.00.